Are you contemplating a future in the aircraft industry? This field offers a plethora of career options beyond piloting and aircraft maintenance. If you aspire to become a flight attendant, rest assured, that this blog post will provide guidance on pursuing this career.
To start, a flight attendant’s role encompasses various responsibilities, with passenger safety and comfort being top priorities. Nevertheless, if you’re considering this career path, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the requirements and daily tasks to determine its suitability for you. This article will delve into the qualifications, typical salary, and duties and responsibilities of an airline steward.
Who is A Flight Attendant?
A flight attendant is a trained cabin crew member responsible for ensuring the safety, comfort, and well-being of passengers on an aircraft during a flight. In addition, they play a vital role in maintaining a safe and pleasant travel experience.
Flight attendants typically assist passengers with boarding, stowing luggage, serving meals and beverages, providing safety demonstrations and instructions, and offering assistance in case of emergencies.
Also, they are trained to handle various in-flight situations, such as turbulence, medical emergencies, and evacuations. In addition to their safety responsibilities, flight attendants also offer customer service and help create a positive experience for passengers throughout the flight.
It is worth noting that, as a flight attendant, you will be working for commercial and private airline companies.
Duties and Responsibilities Of A Flight Attendant
In the role of a flight attendant, there are numerous tasks and responsibilities to fulfill while on an aircraft. Firstly, ensuring the well-being and safety of airline passengers is a primary duty. Additionally, flight attendants may find employment with either commercial or corporate aviation companies.
Secondly, prior to departure, they meticulously assess weather conditions to ensure a safe journey and attend to passengers’ requirements. Here are the general duties of a Flight Attendant:
- Keeping an eye out for suspicious passengers
- Helping passengers during emergencies.
- Protecting the cabin for landing and take-off.
- Calming passengers during delays or turbulence
- Assisting small children or people with special health requirements.
- Giving passengers drinks, headphones, snacks, and pillows during flights.
- Assisting passengers in navigating to their seats
- Help passengers board.
Average Salary for a Flight Attendant
The average salary of a flight attendant is $16.71 per hour. However, the salaries may also differ and range from $7.25 to $41.05 hourly. Though, per year, the average amount flight attendants earn is $39,321 per year.
Other factors may affect the amount flight attendants receive per hour or year. For instance, the number of years of experience, seniority, location or country of work, employer, and qualifications
How Long Does It Take to Become a Flight Attendant?
To be a flight attendant, the training program is normally three to six weeks. Though it might take months or years to be able to enter one of these programs, this is because it is quite competitive, and any vacant position is filled up very quickly.
Qualifications Needed To Become A Flight Attendant?
Getting into the program is one thing; having the qualifications is another. Nevertheless, one can become a flight attendant with a high school diploma. However, to be able to become one, you also need to have these important qualities. First, you should be able to provide excellent customer service.
Secondly, you need to have a courteous attitude and be able to pay attention to little details. You also need to be professional and have stamina. Problem-solving skills are no exception. So, if you have all of the qualifications, you can be able to work as a flight attendant.
Perks Of Working As A Flight Attendant
Though, as a flight attendant, there are many responsibilities and duties that you must be able to perform, there are also perks to working this type of job.
But keep in mind that the perks you enjoy depend on your employer or company. Here are some of the perks and benefits you can enjoy if:
- Free flights.
- Flexible work schedules.
- Overnight hotel stays.
- Compensation.
- Health insurance.
- Retirement plans.
- Food expense pay.
- Discounts.
- Opportunity to meet new people.
- Flight benefits.
- Day offs.
Finally, as a flight attendant, you can enjoy and access travel opportunities. Note that; the benefits enjoyed by a flight attendant are not limited to the above listed ones.
How To Become A Flight Attendant
Becoming a flight attendant is not easy. What’s more, you need to make sure that you meet all the requirements and qualifications laid out for candidates.
Moreover, you need to be able to perform your responsibilities as well. So, if you are still interested in becoming one, here are the things you need to do:
- Ensure you complete your education.
- Have work experience.
- Compose and submit your resume or CV.
- Prepare for your flight attendant interview.
- Undergo and complete the airline’s training program.
- Obtain your FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency.
Ensure You Complete Your Education
The first step to becoming a flight attendant is to complete your education. As mentioned earlier, to become one, you need to at least have a high school diploma, and this cannot be obtained if you do not complete your education.
Besides, you need a GED or high school diploma if you want to secure a job as well. If you want to improve your employability, you can go ahead and obtain a bachelor’s degree.
Have Work Experience
Secondly, to become a flight attendant, you need to have work experience. Here is something you need to know: only the best candidates pass the first interview, and by having work experience, you stand a chance to pass as well.
In fact, the more your work experiences, the stronger your resume becomes. A lot of airlines need a minimum of two years of experience and other qualifications like amazing customer service and problem-solving abilities.
Compose and Submit Your Resume or CV
Preparing your CV or resume is the next step after you have put together your work experiences and qualifications. Also, make sure that your resume shows your customer service skills and professional experiences. However, notable airlines allow candidates to submit their resumes for a few hours. So, make sure that you make it on time.
Prepare For Your Flight Attendant Interview
To be able to begin training, you need to pass the flight attendant interview first. This test consists of a background check and a drug test. Furthermore, you need to be tall enough and have the appropriate weight and height. You also need to be very healthy and have a vision of 20/40 or even better. You will learn more when you get to this stage.
Undergo and Complete the Airline’s Training Program
Undergoing and completing the airline’s training program is another way to become a flight attendant. Furthermore, airlines have a 3-6-week training program prepared for candidates who have passed the interview.
Moreover, you will need to train for 8 hours a day during the program. So, through this training program, you will learn about the etiquette of flight attendants and what and what not to do.
Obtain Your FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency
Lastly, after you have completed your training, you can now get your FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. So, to be able to get this, your hirer will have to apply for it from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Candidates must have a different certificate for each type of aircraft they work for. If you want to keep and maintain your certification, you must undergo and complete annual training.
Conclusion
In conclusion, becoming a flight attendant can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling endeavor. This career offers the opportunity to explore the world while ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers.
To achieve success in this role, one must be prepared to embrace a diverse range of responsibilities, from excellent customer service to safety protocols, dedication, adaptability, and a genuine passion for aviation.
Hence, whether you’re just beginning your journey or considering a career change, remember that the path to becoming a flight attendant may be challenging, but the experiences and adventures that await are truly boundless, making it a dream profession for those with a passion for travel and hospitality.
